Aglaonema plant named &#39;Moonlight Bay&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema named ‘Moonlight Bay’, characterized by its unique leaves that display three distinct colors consisting of a dark green background and two distinct lighter gray-green areas that appear in irregular splashes. The lightest gray-green areas of the leaf surface tend to center around the midrib in irregular splashes while the darker gray-green areas follow the lateral leaf veins from the midrib to the leaf margin. The stems and petioles each display two distinct colors. Plants are mostly symmetrical, relatively upright and outwardly arching in plant habit and suitable for 15 to 30 cm containers.

[0001] 1. The upper surface of mature leaves display three distinctcolors consisting of a dark green background and two distinct lightergray-green areas that appear in irregular but consistent patterns.

[0002] 2. The lightest gray-green areas of the leaf surface tend tocenter around the midrib in irregular splashes while the darkergray-green areas follow the lateral leaf veins from the midrib to theleaf margin.

[0003] 3. The stems and petioles each display two distinct colors.

[0004] 4. Plants are relatively upright and outwardly arching in planthabit.

[0005] 5. Plants are mostly symmetrical, relatively compact and suitablefor 15 to 30 cm containers.

[0006] 6. Plants are moderate in branching, averaging 2-3 basal shootswhen grown from stem cuttings in controlled tests.

DESCRIPTION

[0007] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAglaonema plant, botanically known as Aglaonema hybrid, and hereinafterreferred by the cultivar name ‘Moonlight Bay’.

[0008] The new Aglaonema is a product of an extensive University ofFlorida ornamental tropical foliage plant breeding program conducted bythe inventor, Dr. Richard J. Henny in Apopka, Fla. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new Aglaonemas with improved growthhabits, performance and novel appearance.

[0009] ‘Moonlight Bay’ was discovered and selected by the inventor as asport from a large population of tissue-culture propagated Aglaonema‘Silver Bay’ (a previously developed University of Florida hybridcultivar) growing in a greenhouse in Apopka, Fla. Compared to plants ofthe original parent cultivar ‘Silver Bay’, leaves of mature plants ofthe new Aglaonema display a unique foliar variegation patter consistingof three distinct colors on the leaf surface. The large central graypattern of ‘Silver Bay’ has been replaced by a much smaller and moreirregular pattern of the same color. The darker gray background patternis similar to ‘Silver Bay’ but is much more exposed due to the smallerarea of lighter gray that no longer masks it in the new cultivar.‘Moonlight Bay’ petioles and stems each display two distinct colors andplants are somewhat less compact than ‘Silver Bay’.

[0010] Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by division, stemcuttings and tissue culture at Apopka, Fla. since 1999 has shown thatthe unique features of this new Aglaonema plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

[0011] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Moonlight Bay’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Moonlight Bay’ as a new anddistinct cultivar from other similar Aglaonema cultivars.

[0012] 1. The upper surface of mature leaves display three distinctcolors consisting of a dark-green background and two distinct lightergray-green areas that appear in irregular but consistent patterns.

[0013] 2. The lightest gray-green areas of the leaf surface tend tocenter around the midrib in irregular splashes while the darkergray-green areas follow the lateral leaf veins from the midrib to theleaf margin.

[0014] 3. Plants of ‘Moonlight Bay’ are relatively upright and somewhatoutwardly arching in plant habit.

[0015] 4. Plants of ‘Moonlight Bay’ are fairly symmetrical andrelatively compact and are suitable for 15 to 30-cm containers.

[0016] 5. Plants of ‘Moonlight Bay’ are moderate in branching, averaging2-4 basal shoots when grown from stem cuttings in controlled tests.

[0017] 6. Plants of ‘Moonlight Bay’ have stems and petioles that eachdisplay two distinct colors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The three color photographic drawings were taken from a typicalplant of Aglaonema ‘Moonlight Bay’ grown in a 20 cm diameter pot (3.9liter volume), approximately 1 year after planting a 12-week-old rootedstem cutting with 5 leaves and grown under appropriate growingconditions. Colors are as accurate as possible with color illustrationsof this type.

[0019] 1. The first drawing depicts a top perspective view of a plant of‘Moonlight Bay’ showing the unique foliar variegation pattern.

[0020] 2. The second drawing depicts a closeup of the top and undersideof mature leaves to show how the upper leaf surface variegation is notvisible on the lower leaf surface.

[0021] 3. The third drawing shows the petiole and stem color of atypical stem from a mature plant.

[0022] The following observations, measurements and comparisons describeplants grown in Apopka, Fla., in a shaded greenhouse and underconditions which closely approximate those used in horticulturalpractice. Plants were grown under day temperatures ranging from 21 to 38degrees C. and night temperatures ranging from 7 to 21 degrees C. Thegreenhouse shade provided approximately a 70 to 80 percent decrease inambient light level. In the following description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

[0023] Origin: Sport of Aglaonema ‘Silver Bay’ (not patented).

[0024] Classification: Aglaonema cultivar ‘Moonlight Bay’.

[0025] Propagation: Asexual propagation either by stem cuttings, tissueculture or division.

[0026] Plant:

[0027] In a 20 cm pot for a plant grown from a 12 week-old-cutting underappropriate growing conditions for 9 months, ‘Moonlight Bay’ has anaverage canopy width of 54.0 cm and a canopy height of 34.0 cm. Matureleaves average 30.2 cm in length and 11.6 cm in width. Plants average2-3 basal shoots.

[0028] Stem:

[0029]Growth pattern.—The stem is erect in growth and is 2.0 to 3.0 cmin diameter at five (5) cm above the soil surface. Internode distance isapproximately 1.5 to 2.0 cm at five (5) cm above the soil.

[0030]Color.—The stem consists of two different colored areas that runtogether. The darker areas that are exposed to light are yellow green(RHS 146B) and roughly triangular in shape. These blend with areas ofthe stem that are a lighter shade of yellow green (RHS 152B/C). Thelighter areas are normally hidden by the attached clasping petiole.

[0031] Petiole: The following information is based on the 5^(th)expanded leaf from the apex of a one-year-old plant.

[0032]Dimensions.—Overall petiole length ranges from 12.0 to 20.0 cm.The petiole has expanded fleshy edges extending from the midrib andreferred to as wings. The wings are approximately 2.0 to 2.4 cm wide,one-half the distance from the petiole base to the wing apex. Thepetiole wings average 10.0 to 16.0 cm in length and extend from thepetiole base to within 0.5 to 5.0 cm of the leaf blade. The wings rollinward and the edges come to within 1.0 to 5.0 mm of touching when notin contact with the stem. The angle between the stem and petiole isapproximately 30 degrees from the stem axis for newer leaves. As leavesmature the angle becomes 40 to 50 degrees. The petiole and the leafmidrib form a near straight line on newly unfolding leaves. Withmaturity the leaf blades arch down to form an angle of 45 to 60 degreesbetween the petiole and the leaf underside. In some cases the oldestlower leaves may arch far enough to form an angle of 90 degrees.

[0033]Color.—The petiole wings consist of two colors includingyellow-green (RHS 146A/B) on the outside edges blending to a lighteryellow-green (RHS-148C) in the center. The center petiole color extendsup the leaf midrib on the leaf underside.

[0034] Leaf:

[0035]Growth pattern.—‘Moonlight Bay’ leaves are elliptic and asymmetricin shape. Leaf bases are obtuse, tips are acuminate, and the margins areentire. There is some undulation in the leaves.

[0036]Dimensions.—Mature leaves may reach a length of 34 cm and a widthof 13 cm although leaves for the pot size and indicated average 29.0 to31.0 cm in length and 11.0 to 13.0 cm in width (length/width ratio of2.4 to 2.6).

[0037]Midrib.—The midrib is prominent and slightly recessed on the upperleaf surface.

[0038]Color.—The upper surface of mature leaves display three distinctcolors consisting of a darker green background that is closest to (RHS147A) and two distinct lighter gray-green areas that appear in irregularbut consistent patterns. The lightest gray-green (RHS 191A) areas of theleaf surface tend to center around the midrib in irregular splasheswhich vary is size from 0.1 to 0.2 cm to 5.0 to 7.0 cm at the longestpoint. Most of the lighter colored splashes are concentrated on eitherside of the midrib and do not extend out beyond half the distance to theleaf margin. The largest splashes of light gray-green normally are nearthe leaf tip. Larger darker gray-green (RHS 189A) areas follow thelateral leaf veins from the midrib to the leaf margin. These areas canbe up to 2.0 cm wide, are irregular in shape have defined edges, andcontain minute specks (less than 0.5 mm) of dark green (RHS 147A). Theleaf midrib is the same color (RHS 191A) where the lighter splashesoverlap it. In other areas the midrib is finely striped consisting oflighter gray-green (RHS 191A) and the darker gray-green (RHS 189A). Theleaf underside is a uniform medium yellow-green (RHS 147B).

[0039] Inflorescence: Although the Aglaonema inflorescence has nocommercial value the following description applies. Spathes and spadicesare held on arching peduncles and there may be 3 to 6 inflorescencesproduced at each flowering node. Spathes range in length from 7.0 to 9.0cm in length and 1.0 to 1.5 cm in width. With the spathe removed, thefemale portion of the inflorescence ranges from 1.0 to 2.0 cm in lengthand the male portion may be 4.0 to 5.0 cm in length. The number offemale flowers present per inflorescence ranges from 14 to 23. The outerspathe color is yellow-green (RHS 144A). Again, with the spathe removed,the male portion of the spadix is grayed-orange (RHS 163C) in newinflorescences and darkens to grayed-orange (RHS 165B) with age. Thefemale flower stigma is yellow (RHS 13B) while the female ovary isyellow-white (RHS 158B).

[0040] Seed: No seed has been observed on ‘Moonlight Bay’.

[0041] Roots: Roots are typical for Aglaonema being thick white rootswith fine laterals.

[0042] Disease/Insect resistance: In trial tests under commercialproduction conditions plants of Aglaonema ‘Moonlight Bay’ have not shownany unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects common to Aglaonema.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema named ‘MoonlightBay’, characterized by its unique leaves that display three distinctcolors consisting of a dark green background and two distinct lightergray-green areas that appear in irregular splashes. The lightestgray-green areas of the leaf surface tend to center around the midrib inirregular splashes while the darker gray-green areas follow the lateralleaf veins from the midrib to the leaf margin. The stems and petioleseach display two distinct colors. Plants are mostly symmetrical,relatively upright and outwardly arching in plant habit and suitable for15 to 30 cm containers.